ASUU strike: Lecture halls remain under lock and key in UNN

ASUU strike: Lecture halls remain under lock and key in UNN

One week after the management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, pulled out of the on-going strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, academic activities are yet to resume in the institution.

The UNN authorities had earlier announced that normal academic activities would resume December 2, but DailyPost observation showed that lecture halls and theatres in the university have remained under lock and key.

Although few students were sighted, no academic activity has started in any of the departments.

Speaking to DailyPost, a student of the department of Engineering said he came from Owerre to find out if normal academic activities had commenced.

He lamented that he did not see any lecturer in his department as classrooms were still locked, adding “I will go back to Owerre since academic activities are yet to resume.

“Lecturers belong to association called ASUU and until the union suspends the strike, no lecture will enter the classroom .

“The directive from ASUU national headquarters says the strike continues, so how do you expect academic activity to resume.

“Parents and students should influence Federal Government to meet demands of ASUU, so that the strike will be suspended”, he said.

When contacted Prof Polycarp Chigbu, UNN Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic said the university had opened resumption register in every faculty, stressing that “when we collect the registers, we will know lecturers that have adhered with the federal government’s ultimatum.

However, in a reaction, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada, UNN–ASUU chairman said that the lectures were not bothered about the ultimatum, vowing that the strike would continue until government met the demand of the union.

“We are not bothered about the ultimatum by government; ASUU will not suspend the strike until government meets our demands.

“Lecturers are waiting for their sack letters from government. The union will not succumb to intimidation by government”, he maintained.

It would be recalled that the UNN had recently in a press release signed by its Registrar, Mr Anthony Okonta, directed students to return to school as normal academic activities would start by December 2, 2013.